1. Describe the stasis in the play: where, when, who, what, etc. in a paragraph.
The play takes place on stage portraying Los Angeles California during the 1940s. Henry and friends face charges from the murder of Jose Williams in the sleepy lagoon murder case. Throughout the play, racial tension between Mexican-Americans and White Americans is on the rise.
2. What is the intrusion?
The intrusion is when we first meet El Pachuco and he explains the current relationship and racial tension.
3. What is the unique factor?
The unique factor is that Henry wants to join a military service that is currently beating up people like him.
4. What is the dramatic question that should be answered by the end of the play?
Will Henry and his friend be found innocent from the sleepy lagoon murder? Will tension between Mexican-Americans and White Americans ever subside?
5. Identify the most theatrical moment in the play and of what importance it seems to be.
The most theatrical moment of the play was the court hearing. It was evident that the prosecutor was after them due to racial profile and not for the evidence at hand.
6. List some of the themes of the play.
Gang violence, racial discrimination, family relationships, injustice, guilty by association.
7. What does Henry want? How does the playwright resolve his wants at the end of the play? How does this resolution compare with the real Henry, as indicated in the documentary?
Henry wants to be respected and treated equal to the rest of Americans. Due to his image and race, Henry finds it difficult to accomplish such task. The playwright made sure that Henry had three different paths of life, and the audience of the play had the opportunity to choose his fate. The resolution is somewhat related to the documentary in which people wished he would have been given a second chance at life.
8. Note which version of the play in production you saw (either the DVD version or the HS stage version), then discuss the way the designers move from place to place (scene to scene) and how effectively that is for communicating the dramatic action.
I watched the HS version of the play. The way the designers moved from place to place was done using the light fading technique. By darkening the set, the acting staff was able to transition from scene to scene effortlessly. They always seemed to fade out in a really dramatic moment, in which left the audience hungry for more.
9. Choose a character from the play and discuss how the costume designer has accentuated (focused) the audience attention on that character. What are some of the details of the costume that strike you as interesting or exaggerated.
I choose the El Pachuco. The costume design was very well made and compared to that of the professional production. The bright red shirt and slick moves done by the actor, brought life to an artificial object (the suit).
10. Lighting plays a big role in the DVD and the staged version by the HS. Discuss the use of light to accentuate characters and scenes, choosing a particular scene from the production to discuss.
As stated before, the way the designers moved from place to place was done using the light fading technique. Light was also used to single out major events and important dialogue pertaining to the plot. The use of light served as an orchestra director in the sense of directing the audience to where the action was taking place.
Zoot Suit Worksheet
1. Describe the stasis in the play: where, when, who, what, etc. in a paragraph.
The play takes place on stage portraying Los Angeles California during the 1940s. Henry and friends face charges from the murder of Jose Williams in the sleepy lagoon murder case. Throughout the play, racial tension between Mexican-Americans and White Americans is on the rise.
2. What is the intrusion?
The intrusion is when we first meet El Pachuco and he explains the current relationship and racial tension.
3. What is the unique factor?
The unique factor is that Henry wants to join a military service that is currently beating up people like him.
4. What is the dramatic question that should be answered by the end of the play?
Will Henry and his friend be found innocent from the sleepy lagoon murder? Will tension between Mexican-Americans and White Americans ever subside?
5. Identify the most theatrical moment in the play and of what importance it seems to be.
The most theatrical moment of the play was the court hearing. It was evident that the prosecutor was after them due to racial profile and not for the evidence at hand.
6. List some of the themes of the play.
Gang violence, racial discrimination, family relationships, injustice, guilty by association.
7. What does Henry want? How does the playwright resolve his wants at the end of the play? How does this resolution compare with the real Henry, as indicated in the documentary?
Henry wants to be respected and treated equal to the rest of Americans. Due to his image and race, Henry finds it difficult to accomplish such task. The playwright made sure that Henry had three different paths of life, and the audience of the play had the opportunity to choose his fate. The resolution is somewhat related to the documentary in which people wished he would have been given a second chance at life.
8. Note which version of the play in production you saw (either the DVD version or the HS stage version), then discuss the way the designers move from place to place (scene to scene) and how effectively that is for communicating the dramatic action.
I watched the HS version of the play. The way the designers moved from place to place was done using the light fading technique. By darkening the set, the acting staff was able to transition from scene to scene effortlessly. They always seemed to fade out in a really dramatic moment, in which left the audience hungry for more.
9. Choose a character from the play and discuss how the costume designer has accentuated (focused) the audience attention on that character. What are some of the details of the costume that strike you as interesting or exaggerated.
I choose the El Pachuco. The costume design was very well made and compared to that of the professional production. The bright red shirt and slick moves done by the actor, brought life to an artificial object (the suit).
10. Lighting plays a big role in the DVD and the staged version by the HS. Discuss the use of light to accentuate characters and scenes, choosing a particular scene from the production to discuss.
As stated before, the way the designers moved from place to place was done using the light fading technique. Light was also used to single out major events and important dialogue pertaining to the plot. The use of light served as an orchestra director in the sense of directing the audience to where the action was taking place.